historicafandomcom-20200222-history
Irene Cowsill
Irene Cowsill (1921-) was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1998 to 1999, succeeding Olive Daniels and preceding Elizabeth Madge. Biography Irene Cowsill was born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England in 1981 to a working-class family. Cowsill worked as a trade union organizer before entering politics with the Labour Party. She was elected MP for Great Grimsby in 1997 and was chosen as her party's candidate for Prime Minister to succeed the term-limited Olive Daniels in 1998. Under Cowsill, Labour was reduced to 26.55% of the vote and 8 seats, maintaining a three-seat lead over Edith Birch's Conservative Party, and she had to deal with an increased presence of nationalists in Parliament due to the rise of Plaid Cymru as the third-largest party (ahead of the Liberal Democrats) and the SNP's gaining of a second seat. She had the support of the GPEW, SNP, and DUP in forming a government, receiving 16 votes to Birch's 10. Premiership Parliament's first act under the Cowsill government was to vote 27-1 in favor of government-provided primary education, with only PC MP Guto Matthews voting against the law. However, a housing tax was defeated in a 14-10 vote, with the Tories, DUP, and Lib Dems allying to shoot it down. The Parliament then voted 25-2 to approve an agricultural subsidy, achieving broad appeal across the spectrum; in early 1999, the Parliament voted 21-1 to approve a state-funded bus transport service. A week later, Labour rose to 28.79% and 9 seats, the Tories rose to 18.09% and 5 seats, PC fell to 12.41% and 4 seats, the Lib Dems fell to 12.34$ and 4 seats, the GPEW fell to 10.6% and 3 seats, the DUP fell to 9.73% and 3 seats, the SNP fell to 5.37% and 1 seat, and UKIP fell to 2.67% and 1 seat. Cowsill went on to win another mandate as Prime Minister in a 15-9 vote against Conservative leader Edith Birch. A week later, Parliament voted 9-8 against a stamp duty and 13-9 to abolish the income tax, leading to drastic economic downturn. The Tories then proposed a school bus tax which passed 13-6, and they abolished agriculture research in a 13-9 vote; however, they prevented the Lib Dems from abolishing public housing. The Tories then failed to pass a gun control law, which failed in a 14-9 vote (opposed by the Lib Dems, PC, and factions of Labour); they also failed to abolish the agricultural subsidy in a 14-12 vote. Labour spearheaded a 14-9 vote to abolish the school bus tax, and, by then, the Conservatives had lost much of their earlier support, dropping to 17.33% of the vote. In November 1999, Labour fell to 25.95% and 8 seats, the Tories fell to 17.91% and 5 seats, PC rose to 15.01% and 4 seats, the Lib Dems rose to 12.48% and 4 seats, the GPEW fell to 10.48% and 3 seats, the DUP fell to 9.72% and 3 seats, the SNP rose to 5.62% and 2 seats, and UKIP rose to 2.83% and 1 seat. The ensuing election led to Elizabeth Madge becoming the third consecutive Labour prime minister. Category:1921 births Category:British politicians Category:British Category:Politicians Category:English Category:Agnostics Category:Labour Party members Category:British social democrats Category:Social democrats Category:British prime ministers Category:Prime ministers